Seasons of Contentment
by Irish Maiden16
Summary: Bruce Wayne got his second chance after he washed up on the shores of Gotham. Now in the English countryside, he and Selina start to rebuild their lives brick by brick. A story breaking the barriers, trust and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Seasons of Contentment **

**Disclaimer : All characters belong to Christopher Nolan and DC Comics**

* * *

The smell of fresh Autumn rain cloaked through the bedroom, protective dark coffee-colored eyes watched him stir underneath the thick covers that covered his half- naked body. The color of his sharp cheek bones was vibrant as he was regaining his strength everyday. She was dressed in a white cotton robe, long auburn hair long with curly ringlets, and lips parting as she took a small sip of a creamy cup of hot chocolate. She gingerly moved to the chair by his beside and sat gracefully down. Her eyes settled on the slight discomfort she found on his bruised and battered features, the scar that he received during the battle with Bane was still visible on his forehead. It was a reminder of guilt to her heart that would eventuality fade over time.

She rose back up and sauntered to the cushioned window seat, and flattened her back against the cold plaster of the wall, she stared at the lush of trees colored with hues of burnt oranges and golden browns as the drops of rain bent the branches. Everything was peaceful. It was unnerving. There was no sounds of bustling traffic, sirens and the annoying screeches of Jen's tiny voice wafting from the halls. There was just the softness of the rain hitting the glass panes of the windows, and the steady breath piercing from his unclasped lips. She watched him slowly open his eyes, he was focused on nothing, he just stared at his surroundings for a moment and then he drifted back into a partial deep slumber.

A part of her still felt the coldness rattle through her bones, she still felt condemn by the serious mistake she made when her malevolence lured him into the sewers. At first, she had thought it was another key point of her survival, to allow someone else to take the fall for her while she escaped the fury of the rising storm. It wasn't anything she had expected. Fate had turned her life upside down when she heard the brutal-noxtoius mercenary expel the name of the man underneath the mask.

The man that she pegged him as a rich sap and used her brazen poise to gain his guarded treasures. In truth, she was the devil in details. The unpredictable feline who walked the shadows by herself, deeming anything she wanted as her own. Some of her arrogant victims of infiltration called her a bitch and some of the lower-class dwellers of Old Town called her their self-appointed saint.

She turned her focused back on him, his body was shivering from the feverish symptoms he was fighting against, she quickly bolted from her comfort zone and swiftly moved to his bedside, the sheets were becoming drenched as salty liquid seeped out of his pores. He was thrashing violently, lips curing into a deadly scowl but she could not understand a single word that escaped from the depths of his throat. She knew there would be days like this, that his body would depend on her warmth to break up out of his distress. There was just a dependency forming around her, that she was beginning to doubt her own heart. Carefully, she settled herself into the mattress and stroked her long fingers through his damp hair, as she stared down at his slender frame trembling.

"Easy handsome," she said quietly, hovering over him and placing her hands on his glistening chest pectorals. She flattened her palms over the groves of his chest and listened to the thumping of his heart."Just listen to my voice." her soothing touch seemed to calm him momentarily, he winced and let out a deep groan and rolled off to one side and turned his bare back to her. She blow out a breath of frustration, and lowered herself as her chin rested over his broad shoulder.

She wrapped her hand over his waist and pressed herself against the muscular planes of his back, while feeling his hand squeeze against hers. She was stricken with surprise and lifted her head up, narrowed her eyes as she watched a cozy smile stretch over his lips.

Bruce slowly opened his eyes, he was slowly becoming alert into a state consciousness, feeling the blanketing peace enter through his body. He winced slightly and shifted his sleep-hazed eyes on her face as shadows formed over his cut-stone features. He lifted his shaky hand and gently caressed her pale cheek. His heavy eyelids blinked, trying to adjust to the dull brightness of the bedroom and he squinted tried to make his blurry vision clear as his rich hazel eyes stared into her eyes. "Miss Kyle," he hoarse voice said, clenching his eyes shut as the heavy jolts of spasms entered his muscles. "Where am I?"

She curled herself up against him, her soft cool hands messaged over his feverish skin. At the same time, she pulled the covers down to reveal his compacted abdomen glistening with sweat. He cautiously rolled onto his back, angled his head into the pillow and looked directly up at her as she rested her hand over his heart.

Bruce enveloped his hand over hers and swallowed a thick gulp of air. " You're here," he managed, "With me?"

She clamped her hand over his mouth. "Just shut up, Mr. Wayne." she replied, her voice was firm and soft. He felt the heaviness of his exhaustion creep over his eyes. She settled her head into the pillow and delicately brushed the curled bangs out of his eyes. "You talk too much." she said, running her fingers over his deep-set brow, and and in circular motion over his scar.

"You should talk," He whispered, the corners of his mouth straightening upwards into a warm smirk, he ran his clammy fingers over her arm. "Right now I don't want you to stop. I love hearing your voice, Selina." he confessed, drifting into a sanctuary of peace.

She felt an empty shards of her heart repairing together, she bent her head down and pressed a soft kiss on his sweat-dotted brow. "We've got a lot of head of us. For now I just want silence." she whispered against his ear. "You deserve rest." She felt her voice faltering in those moments. Her harden emotions were stripping off as she settled her face into the center of his rising chest. "You're alive. That's all that matters." she kissed his skin before saying the truth that etched over her heart. "I'm going to be right here."

She fell asleep for a rest of the afternoon, only listening to calming sound of his heart beating against her ear. When she woke after a restful slumber, she lifted herself up and off of him, studying his handsome face. Her feathery touch mouth down his strong jaw and watched his lips part as hot breath touched her skin. She smiled and felt his arm wrap over her as he pulled her closer against him.

"Stay with me," he whispered faintly.

She felt her fragile heart skip a beat and she finally covered her lips with his, and guided them through a savory kiss as a silver gleams of moonlight streamed over their bodies. "You asked." she replied with a breathless voice, curling against him as he pulled the warm covers over them and held on her with all his strength, tenderness and new found hope. They were finally together. Both of them felt their souls entwining as pieces that broke so many years ago were slowly becoming mended.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The softness of rain patted on the window panes, he never stirred when Selina entered the bedroom silently through the doorway. Her thick mass of hair tied back into a low pony tail with a few twirling stands brushing her temples. She was carrying a tray of breakfast that consisted of golden fluffy pancakes glazed with syrup and topped with fresh strawberries from the local market. She flattened her back as the door frame, stretching her stiff spine as she gingerly walked bare foot across the floorboards and stared down at him with stillness in her eyes. He was resting on his side, covers were straight below his sculpted pectorals as the faint light gleamed over his thick bicep revealing a purple bruise on his firm skin. His indented cheek resting flat over his other arm as she couldn't stop herself from staring at the breath escaping his smooth pale rose-colored lips.

She had never seen him this serene before, it was foreign sight to her watchful gaze.

Quietly she placed the tray on the nightstand and she backed away she felt his hand grasp her own. With a shaky exhale she turned on the balls of her feet and watched him drift slowly in and out of sleep, his deep-set eyes were opening enough for her to see the pools of dim hazel, she pulled herself closer until her legs rubbed against the mattress. She sat gracefully on the edge and kept her eyes locked over him.

Bruce groaned trying to adjust his eyes against the light of a gray somber atmosphere. His fingers pinched the bridge of his aquiline nose as he blinked for a few seconds. She narrowed her eyes down at him with a snaky smirk crossed over her lips. He unclasped his lips, tongue curled back before he said in a hoarse voice. "How long was I out?" He squinted a bit more until he became fully awake and staring up at her, studying her face intently, his dusky hazel eyes focused a tranquil gaze to her. At first, she found it alarming as she saw the fierceness of Batman still imbedded within his darken chasms hidden beneath dangling bangs of his brow.

"Oh sorry, I wasn't paying that much attention," she said with josh in her voice as she slightly stepped back and away from her, rolling her gaze to the lines of rain sloping down the glass of the windows. She noticed the corners of his mouth had turned up slightly at the sharp edges, displaying the indents of his laugh lines as he continued staring, not evening batting his eyes. "What?" she asked feeling aback by the penetrating stare he entrapped her within those moments. It unnerved her.

He opened his mouth to convey something, but gingerly he straightened himself off the sheets and tried to press the muscular planes of his back against the headboard, his brow crinkled as he released a low groan and she saw the discomfort etched over his features. He swallowed and finally flattened his frame over the cold wood. He gritted and then wheezed out a breath.

Selina quickly reached for the juice glass from his beside, handing it over to him and watched him take small sips as he closed his eyes feeling the cold apple flavored liquid seep down his raw throat. He winced taking a larger sip and letting the juice slid down to the back of his throat, a mixture of sweetness, moisture and relief. Still, he never broke eye contact with her, as he drained the drink and carefully extended his arm and placed the glass gently on the nightstand. He swallowed the lingering taste of the juice and then peered deeply into her.

"Why are you doing this, Miss Kyle ?" he asked hoarsely, his lips trembling as a rush of pain ignited in his veins. "I thought you didn't care."

"Sometimes exceptions have to be made," she replied back, trying to averted her eyes from his intense gaze. "It's been raining for almost three days. Not that I don't mind it." Bruce shifted his eyes to the window and concentrated his focus on her as his hand reached out to her.

"The color of your eyes...coffee...and chocolate," he whispered faintly, his shaky fingertips ghosting over the smooth and waxen skin of her face that she could feel the soothing warmth of his touch rush over her cheek. "I've never see you this close without a mask." He let silence linger in the air and then exhaled a breathless sigh as his eyes became crisp with a slight glimmer in the darkness of his pupils. "You're ...beautiful, Selina Kyle."

Selina dug her teeth into her bottom lips. Her emotions were unprepared for the suave remark that pierce out of his lips. Unprepared for his refined affection. Unprepared to hear his confession to her. She rolled her eyes back to the window and stared blankly at the ashen clouds building heavily into the Autumn sky. For some reason she found the seasonal weather of the English countryside comforting during moments like this one she was experiencing. It was new and unpredictably alarming for her guarded heart.

"How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt? Are you hungry?" She asked, tilting her head and regarding him with slight concern engraved on her face. Stripping her own façade. She drove her eyes to the nightstand. "I decided to so that there's no hard feelings behind us...I made you breakfast."

Bruce pursed his lips, raising both eyebrows. "You made my breakfast?" he asked with a dumbfounded slapped over his face. "I didn't know that ..." his voice trailed as he watched her fight the emotions clinging to the walls the sheltered her watching them threatening to crumble down. He wasn't prepared for this change.

Her kiss that she gave him before he flew the nuclear reactor out of the Gotham still lingered on his lips like permanent gloss that seeped deeper into his flesh. In those last moments, when he felt her slip away as the numbers of the time bomb deceased he thought maybe there would have been a chance between the two of them. His doubting mind thought wrong.

"Selina...why are here with me?" His voice asked they mulch-layered question, she stared at him, soft emotions were breaking through her walls.

"It's not important." she shot back defensively, pulling away from him. She moved to the nightstand and stared cutting pancakes into pieces with the utensils "I did what I had to do."

"That's not what I asked, Selina?" Bruce replied, furrowing his brow, noticing she was displaying hospitality . "Why did you bring me here?" he turned his gaze around the strange bedroom. "Where are we?"

"England." She answered, backing away to the door, arms crossing over her chest as she regarded him silently.

"England?" he asked with a bewildered gaze. "Okay. How did we get here?" He saw that she was wearing a piece of his clothing. A black t-shirt that clung over every curve of her body perfectly. He had to admit black was the only color she wore best and that it look a hell of a lot better on her shapely body than his battered one. "I see you've adapted to a new style of clothing." He raised his eyebrows giving her a pointed look.

She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm . "The washer is full with my stuff. I needed something comfortable to slip on. I didn't want enter the room with my bare ass fully visible. Through you probably would enjoy that sight." A shadow of a smirk played on her red lips. "I'll answer your questions when your fit enough to walk down the stairs. For now just shut up and eat."

Bruce bought his steady gaze on the plate of pure sugar and carbohydrates. He listened to his empty stomach growl as his taste buds were engulfing all senses. He was hesitant to even reach for the plate.

She shook her head , releasing a frustrated sigh, she sauntered boldly over, grabbed the plate of the tray and placed it purposely on his lap. "Don't tell you that you have certain rules when it comes to your choices of meals, Mr. Wayne?"

He narrowed an unsettled gaze down at the plate of breakfast placed on his lap, he clenched his eyes shut momentarily as vivid memories of sharing these same meal with his parents skimmed through his mind.

_Suddenly, he was six years old again, happy, imaginative and innocent. He was sitting on a blanket over the crisp summer grass with his parents, the scent of morning flowed around him. Thomas Wayne was dressed in a white collared shirt and shorts and Martha in a white lace summer dress with her warm soft eyes looking at him with a motherly gaze.  
_

_Alfred stepped lightly on the grass, carrying a wicker basket in his firm hands. "The breakfast you asked for, Master Wayne," he said pleasantly and placed the basket gentle on the blanket. Thomas nodded in return. "Is there nothing else you require before I retire to the kitchen?"_

_"No. That will be all, Alfred. Thank you." Thomas replied, looking at his old friend's winter blue eyes twinkle in the sunlight. "Why don't join us? We've got plenty of room for more company."_

_"Thank you, Master Wayne." Alfred said, looking at Bruce who was giggling with Martha. "I have a whole kitchen to clean. I will be back shortly for the dishes."_

_Thomas nodded, he turned his warm gaze on his son. "I wonder what Alfred made us this fine morning, Bruce?" he lightly smiled lifting the wicker lid of the basket and taking out a plateful of fluffy light-brown pancakes and a container of syrup. "Pancakes your favorite."_

_"Thomas," Martha said, with concern etched over her delicate features. "Our son needs to eat a healthy breakfast. Not one that is laced with sugar."_

_Bruce narrowed his eyes with a small frown crossed over his lips. Thomas smirked and lifted his son's chin with a finger.  
_

_"A little sugar doesn't go a long way, right, Bruce?" The boy nodded at his father's words, Thomas handed him a small plate. "Besides, Martha, every child loves pancakes in the morning." He winked at Bruce. "I still do."_

_"He gets his stubbornness from you, Thomas." Martha berated her husband, shaking her head. She looked down at her six year old son and smiled. "Alright. But just this once."  
_

_Bruce nodded back at his mother, and looked at his father, as he took a small bite. The mixture of flavor whirled inside his mouth as he took another bite.  
_

_Thomas looked at his wife and said, "I want our son to enjoy his childhood. Too many children in this city never get a chance to, Martha."_

_Martha nodded, and gazed at him husband with her shimmering hazel-green eyes. "Bruce may have your stubbornness, darling, but he also as your heart."  
_

_"And you're determinate spirit, darling." she answered back, pulling closer until their lips met.  
_

"Bruce?"

Selina's voice bought him back to the present moment with a sudden jolt in his body. The dull ache was throbbing his heart, the entwining pain that would truly never leave him was rushing within him. He opened his eyes and found himself trapped into her dark coffee pools. She had suddenly become his calming peace. He plated the plate over his torso and pulled the covers off his and took her by the hand.

"What?" she asked, heart shuddering. "Look if you don't want to eat it." She shrugged her shoulder. "It's not a big deal." He guided her until she was mere inches away from him. Closing the distance around them as she looked into his dark eyes as their brows touched. "I still can't believe after all you've been through, that your body is intact."

"It was autopilot." he finally breathed against her. "I only had a few minutes left."

She pulled away from him, inhaling the scent of the breakfast and him."You said there was no autopilot when I asked."

"I wasn't sure if it would work. The BAT was a prototype. It had a few bugs in the system."

"So you were prepared to become to dust in the wind?"

He swallowed thickly. His eyes locked into hers. "If it was the only way to save Gotham."

She curved her lips into a scowl. "You lied to me." her voice was irradiated.

"You stole from me." Bruce shot back. "Twice."

Molten tears were building behind her eyes, angry, she blinked them away at bay. "But I never lied to you about who I was, Bruce."

His lips grew firm. She was using a strong tactic of manipulation. He couldn't falter. He wasn't sure if her intentions for real or just another ploy of getting what she wanted from him. "No. You're weren't, Selina." he reluctantly admitted. "You were true to your word when I asked you help me. I thank you for that." he let a pause linger between them. "Without you, Selina, I wouldn't have been able to save Gotham in time. So thank you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't mention it." she replied. "At least I got to ride the Batpod."

His eyebrows went up. "Oh," he lightly chuckled. "And where is the Batpod?"

"That will be another topic of conversation for another rainy day." She said, lifting up a piece of strawberry to her lips and took a slowly and savory bite, as he watched the fruit rub over wide mouth with hunger flaring in his eyes. Her lips played a devilish smirk. "Do you want some, Mr. Wayne?" She dipped her finger into a pool of syrup and glazed in over his thin upper lip.

And then she leaned in and kissed him, soft and slow, he felt the syrup drip down his throat. It was nothing like the other ones they shared when her lips met his. This was a caress of affection. He never thought she would do this to him, but he wasn't refusing. A kiss that last for a few seconds enkindled the fire into something deep in him that he wanted the full richness of her lips.

He wrapped his arms over her back, trapping her into a full embrace and kissed her until they were breathless. His tongue rubbed against her bottom teeth, slid into the cavern of her warm mouth and entwined with her own as they both were captives to their unspoken passion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The next several deary days passed tedious. Selina was found the Autumn weather becoming irksome as she focused on her cooking skills and researching recipes on her lap top while Bruce drifted in and out sleep as the dull hours passed that made her feel like she became trapped into eternal boredom. She couldn't contain herself staring at tattered cook books on the panty shelves, listening to the dead silence and feeling edgy as the sound of creaks from the loft's floorboards revealed that Bruce was stirring a bit almost every three hours. She had come to find, that she couldn't get proper rest without feeling the comforting heat of his welcoming arms enclose around her inside the covers that entrapped her lithe body.

Today, she woke up and found herself entwined around him. Her curly mass of ringlets fanned across his rising graven chest and one hand was resting flatly on his left pectoral as she felt the vibrations his pounding heart against her finger tips. She fluttered her curled lashes as his smooth muscle and noticed that her long sleek pale legs draped possessively over his strong calves. She lifted herself carefully, dark coffee eyes adjusting to the monotone light and stretched her stiff joints as her lips brushed lightly on his throat right above his dark mole. She pulled away and distanced herself from him. He slipped his eyes opened enough to unveil dusky hazel irises hidden by shadow. She stared for a few moments at a look of bemusement furrowed across his indented brow, as if he was still ensnared inside a dreamless state of mind, he blinked trying to settle his focus, but she turned and moved to the doorway before he could wake up fully.

His still lips finally parted, as he shifted his hazy eyes to her half-naked form pressing against the wooden frame of the door. He blinked a couple more time to clear his sleep-dazed vision, and watched her, studying her intently, as his dark eyes settled on her face. He scrutinized her with intense blaze glowing in his dark pupils as he laid in the assortment of covers, and kept his sharp eyes locked onto her.

She tried to avert her eyes away from indistinct stare, and crossed her arms protectively over his black t-shirt that covered her compacted breasts. At first, she wasn't sure what to say to him, she swallowed and kept her ivory features stone-like as she watched ridge of his delicate lips had slightly up at the edges as he continued taking in her beauty, with his unmoving eyes. It vexed and alarmed her.

"Is there something you want to say to me, Mr. Wayne?" she asked, keeping her safeguard up. "Well come on, spit it out. I don't have all day."

He opened his mouth and his laugh lines became pronounced. " Do you want to stay with me?" He asked, his voice sounded raw and strained but there was determination welling in his eyes. He pulled the covers away from his body, displaying his black track pants and exposed brawn abdomen that was varnished with discolored scars.

"What did you say?" she asked, slight confusion played on her brow. She felt her feet gingerly carrying her to the bedside.

"I asked you if you wanted to stay in bed with me, Miss Kyle." he replied, reaching his hand out for her. "It's gets boring up here during the daylight. I respect if you don't want to climb in bed with me. I'm not forcing you."

Selina made her teeth nipped her bottom, she sighed and then felt his hand take hers as he guided her to the bed, she sunk her knees into the mattress as he shifted his body slight to give her more room. She rested against his side, allowing his swelter body to warm her tense posture. She closed her eyes momentarily as his arm swathed over her waist, she opened her eyes and stared closely on the collection of freckles peppering on the flush of his skin.

"I never noticed how many freckles you have...so light...different." he whispered against her neck, as his lips were a breath away from her skin. His trembling finger tips moved the loose strands of hair off her shoulder and he narrowed his chin down as his mouth hovered over her jaw. He caressed her smooth waxen skin with a warm touch of his lips as he muttered against her. "I still can't beleive that you're here in this bed with me...unmasked, no." His finger rubbed gently over her cheek as he allowed a long pause to linger into the air and then exhaled a heavy breath that had been holding since he looked down at her teardrop shaped lips. "But you always wear a mask." His hand cupped underneath her chin as he lifted her up head against the pillow. "Even if it's not visible...it's hidden underneath your beautiful face."

Selina steadied her breath, trying to keep a dominant composure as his lips were just a fraction away to press against her own. She clenched her eyes shut and listened to the downpour beating against the window panes and the breaths she felt prickled over her skin.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Are you hungry?" she asked, trying to grasp a distraction as he encircled both of his arms over her and locked her into a warming embrace. She felt her heart flip-flopping inside the walls of her chest as jitters ignited through her body.

Bruce breath, a low throaty sound that vibrated along her neck as he kissed a sensitive spot under her ear. "I can't think of anything at the moment. He loosened his grip over her body and framed both hand on her face as he turned her toward him and she carefully placed her arms around his shoulders. Her long finger threading through the lengthy strands flowing down the nape of his neck. He leaned in, his intense gaze so full and heated with unspoken passion that Selina felt her bones melt against his body.

When his moist lips met hers, she couldn't stop the trembling shimmering through her body. She pressed herself tightly against him as he nibbled at her mouth, before his tongue slipped over her bottom lip and entered touched the tip of hers as they enhanced the movements into an erotic sway feeling their hearts skip the beat as he enfolded his arms fully around her body and his hands seized the curves of her hips and they both guided each other steady waltz not realizing that something foreign was forming inside their bodies. Something they never thought was possible to grasp in their lifetimes entered inside their restless souls as the darkness of the dimming sky outlined over them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The next few days were uneventful. It came unexpectedly in the early hours of the morning, the tightness of muscle tension in her thighs, the dull aches of her abdominal muscles and the acid churning inside her walls of her stomach.

She literally wanted to curl up in a corner and die, as she rested her head against the leather cushions of the couch, her dark coffee-colored eyes focused on the ember flames of the crackling fire was the dampness of the morning rain seeped inside her bones. She cradled her stomach, trying to ease the monthly pain flowing inside her core as she winced slightly, displaying discomfort deep into her eyes. She had poured scorching water into a water bottle and placed over her pelvis and slowly closed her eyes, steadying her mind as she allowed her body work through the symbols of _Mother Nature's_ curse.

It was the seventh hour of daylight, she was sheltered by the warmth of the throw blanket, her knees were close to her chest as she listened to the creaks of the upper level floorboards rattling in her ears, she lifted her eyes at the pine wood ceiling, and heard his silent footfalls descend from the narrow stairwell. She quickly grabbed the a tattered red covered book off the coffee table, and opened the bookmarked page, pretending that she was reading, displaying her weakness to him with unnerving to her body. She wasn't in the mood of his sympathy. She wanted to be left alone in her content sanctuary of blankets, chocolate and warmth.

One of his bare-feet hit the last step, he leaned his slender body against the frame of the living area doorway, his bare chest gleamed in the ashen light as he stared directly at with clear and refreshed hazel eyes hidden under dark tendrils that dangled from his broad forehead. He focused his intense gaze intently on her covered body with a concern look etched over his deep-set brow.

She purposely averted her eyes from his handsome face, avoiding the softness of his eyes as he looked directly at her. The air was becoming thick with tension combined with a glitter of comfort as she released a shaky exhale of breath, clenching her jaw as another contraction ravage inside her core. She gritted her teeth, and groaned at the displeasure of the annoyance of her monthly aliment. She had hoped he would make his retreat to the kitchen, any sign of empathy from him would create dangerous and untamed female rage pour out of her body. She could tell that was attracted to the natural and intoxicating scent of h her wafting into the room as he casually stepped forward with a slight limp in his movements. He rasped a light, breathless laugh at her, narrowing his piercing dark eyes to her pale facial features.

"What?" she asked with a hint of a growl as a sheer hint of annoyance clouded over her face.

He cherished the moments of staring the masquerade of different emotions on her delicate features because it truly meant that Selina Kyle had concealed weaknesses. She had feeling trapped beyond the waxen and freckled skin of her body. The dark coffee swirls in her eyes always exposed her deepest desires of grasping the words she wanted to speak, like she was fighting pure hesitation in her throat as the truthful words were always stuck into the back of her mind, locked them away into a guarded vault that had a secret decryption. None of that matter to him. He stood inches away from her with his arms crossed over his graven chest and surveyed his eyes over the contents of the tables. Bottles of pain killers, dark pudding cups and a bag of sweet and salty popcorn. His eyebrows shot up as everything was starting to register in his mind.

"How are you... feeling?"

"Don't ask, Wayne." she snarled lightly and was preparing to pull her own arsenal of hostility at him. "Just don't ask."

He folded his arms and held his hand into the air in mock surrender. "You don't very happy at the moment, Miss Kyle." He lightly shot back. "Don't tell me that the famous cat burglar of Gotham as a weakness." He looked down at with a playful smirk crossed over his lips. She cringed ready to slap that smirk off with he took a brazen chance of invading her space. Then his cut-stone features morphed into serious expression. "What's really going on, Selina?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're a guy. I don't think you would understand all of this." She winced feeling her skin becoming slightly feverish as the bile was edging up her throat. "I don't think you would want to know the reason why I'm doing back flips in heels today."

"Look if you don't want to tell what's going on, then I respect that." He said, his lips pursed into a thin line. "Just tell me it's nothing serious."

"Worried about me, Mr. Wayne?" she asked defiantly, rocking her hips underneath the throw. "Don't tell that Bruce Wayne as soft for women with raging hormones. Now, where would the fun be in that?" She purred, arching her left eyebrow. "It's nothing I can't handle." Her dark eyes became infused with malice.

He sighed, sliding his finger down the slope of his aquiline shaped nose as the indents of his brow became pronounced in the somber light casting over his body. He closed his momentary, trying to avoid her fierce glare that was creating a dull ache in his temples. That sudden ache that scolded him whenever he tried to display tenderness to her. She was as hard stone cut diamond. He was sure of it. He was unprepared for her unpredictable emotions. Out matched with the death glares she shot back at him during those silent moments between them.

"I think I deserve an explanation." he said, keeping his voice firm and face neutral as he felt the coldness of her emotions creep across his skin. "What's really going on, Selina. And I want the truth." he continued with a low growl. " So stop being so self-contained with yourself and tell exactly what the hell is wrong with you."

"You want the clear answer, Wayne." She shot back, stiffening her jaw. "I'm on my time of the month. Meaning for the next six or seven days I will be a bitch to you for any damn reason."

"You're on your menstrual?"

"Some detective you are, handsome." She dejected a mock back at him. "Yes. I'm on my cycle. So you better get use to this because it happens every month. Sometimes earlier than expected."

He cleared a building lump in his throat, "You take the pill?" He placed his hand on his chin, feeling the bristles of a dark ginger swath of a stubble that haven't been shaved for week against his fingertips, it was enough to resembling a growing beard covering the curve of his jaw.

"Hell no," she growled. "I never allow anything foreign to enter my body. I like to do things naturally. Besides sometimes those drugs screw your system up. I'm not taking that risk. I worked too damn hard to maintain this body at physical peak."

For a moment she paused, watching him with a cold guarded expression, and then shifted her eyes to the window, staring at the slope of rain drops dripping off the glass panes. There was a need to reassure herself that the structures their relationship were building in those few seconds. Releasing a faint of breath, she pulled the cover off her body, revealing that she was wearing thin black yoga pants and one of his black t-shirts that hung loosely over her trim frame and lowered herself against the cushions, as the hot water bottle resting on her slightly bloated stomach and raised her arms over her head, stretching her stiffening joints and arching her back slightly up from the cushions and she closed her eyes with a drowsiness tugging behind her eyes.

When he detected her unspoken discomfort, he gingerly inched toward the couch, his steady eyes absorbed her still body as he lowered himself against the length of her. His bare pectorals pressed over her tender breasts as he looked at the misery etched over her soft features. She was miserable. He felt she flinched as his weight dug into her body and she made no effort to push him away as he lay flat over her, blanketing his body heat into her tense bones. He ran his smooth palm up at the curve of her cheek, framing her face with both hands. His warmth seeped into his fingertips and into her skin, as she slipped opened her eyes and stared into his with gentleness that he never expected to see from her dark irises.

His lips curled as he captured every detail of the depth of her eyes, and then he dropped a moist kiss on her lips as he felt her body curled against him.

She responded instantly to his soft kiss, fully capturing his mouth as he plunged himself deeper as she felt the symptoms of her pain melt into the waves of pleasure and comfort. She slowly closed her eyes, feeling his lips bruise themselves along the groves of her neck and she enclosed her arms around his shoulders, finger threading through his lengthy strands of dark chocolate and breathed out a satisfied sigh, and when he lifted his head to kiss her again, she smiled and said without opening her eyes, "This works way better than Midol."

He grinned and brushed her back from with a gentle caress of his fingers as her finger moved down to the planes of his scarred back. "I'm glad you think so." He said, pressing his lips along her jaw, tasting the splendor of her skin as he moved his lips on her teardrop shaped ones and kissed her in a way that made her toes curl. She wrapped herself tighter around his body and guided him into a surge of passion as both of them felt their aches and pain pour out from their bodies.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

_"I was wondering what would break first..."_

_She felt metallic acid seep down her throat, her gloved fingers clutched the cold rusted bars of the grate that separated from horrific scene unfolding before, every punch he took she could feel her heart jump against the coldness of her chest as her breath grow faint and eyes watery from the stinging dread that bubbled in her veins. She felt the words of guilt become seared on her brow as she stared at the puddle of crimson forming underneath his tattered cape. She tried to avert her eyes from the crushing images of her betrayal but chains of remorse bounded her against the gate. She listened to the bone crack through the chamber.  
_

_"Your spirit..."_

_Her red lips quivered as a bead of cold sweat rolled underneath her mask and slipped down her cheek. He clenched her eyes tight, trying to block out the ear shattering cries of pain as Batman's lips became caked with blood, his movements were slow and his body weakening from the deadly blows. "Get out of there, Mr. Wayne. While you still have a chance." She whispered a breathless tone._

_Bane picked up the battered vigilante and hoisted him above his broad shoulders, Batman screeched for release as his arms hung limp and body trembling. Selina felt the bile whirling in the pit of her gut as she nipped her bottom lip with her teeth so hard it made a small gash of blood seep down her chin. She never felt so cold, remorse and stricken in her life as she watched Batman helplessly reach his defeat. __Collateral damage always been a part of her survival skills of living another day to dodge another bullet. It was in her nature to manipulate suckers to gain her reward. She was a devil in details. A cunning witch in three-inched stilettos. Every one of her motives served a purpose of getting what she wanted but this was different. This was cruel mistake. A forsaken regret.  
_

_You made a serious mistake, her mind replayed. His voice would always haunt her._

_"...Or your body"_

_Her clenched tight against the bars as Batman closed his eyes and screamed a tone of sheer defeat making her blood run cold through her veins. She watched Bane lift his knee and drop Batman forcefully down, ramming all his strength into his captives back._

_The bone shattered crack echoed through out the chamber._

_"No," she breathed out, watching Bane drop the broken Dark Knight into his own puddles of blood. "Bruce...I didn't mean for this to happen...I never thought you would..." She gulped down a lump in her throat and back away from the grate as Bane crouched down and pulled off the half graphite mask, holding his prize into the faint light as Bruce's bruise and swollen face became visible to her eyes for a few seconds before his unconscious body was carried off into the darkness._

_Selina melted into the shadows..._

Selina darted opened her teary eyes, her lips released a silent scream. Her heart thudded against her rib cage as a dull ached scourged through her stiff bones. She placed her hand on her heaving chest and let out rapid pants of breath as she swallowed. She swiped the dots of sweat off her brow with the back of her hand and settled back into the softness of the mattress . It was only a dream. A vivid dream that lingered in her mind ever since that hour when she performed her turn of betrayal in the sewer chamber. She bashed her thick lashes together as the haunting images vanished into the fog of her mind. She released deep and shallow breaths until she couldn't remember the terrifying moments that skimmed through the cluster of her memories. Until the shards of ice melted into the fabrics of her graying soul.

Carefully she reeled herself up and pulled her legs closer to her chest, she rested her cheek against her kneecaps. She took a moment to focus on her surroundings - soft double bed , moonlight streamed through the window panes and bookshelves. She curled her toes and steadied her breath as the flow of liquid pain rushed through her making her body cringe and the icky feeling between her legs as she squeezed her muscles to gain relief from the tense contractions. "Go figure," she muttered underneath not surprised that the nightmares where related to her monthly time of pure female rage, bloating , craving of dark chocolate and any salty flavored snack she had stored in the cupboards.

When her eyes shifted to the doorway she found him curled on a half wing back chair. His bare chest gleamed in the purity of the moonlight, and she couldn't stop looking at his still form with a softness gaze as she watched him inhale and exhale faint breaths escaping from his slightly parted lips. She marveled as his lips twitch and stray hair fall gently over his closed eyes as light cast over his cut-stone features making him appear younger and dangerous alluring to her senses. She pulled the throw off her body and gingerly walked over to the chair, her eyes settled on his handsome face as she inwardly admired how gorgeous he truly was in the moonlight. She could see light grimace etched in his features and knew there was tension and pain coursing through his body, he was too stubborn to admit it.

She pulled the blanket dangling of his legs over his chest and softly stroked her fingers through the wavy mass of his hair and brushed the wisps of hair off his broad forehead, and stared at the fading scar above his left eyebrow. Warm tears were starting to form behind her eyes, she was unprepared to allow her emotions to seep out. She knew that shredding tears displayed weakness. She was not weak. She kept her emotions concealed behind stone walls, and wore the masks to hide her broken heart, dread and slivers of happiness.

"I did this to you, handsome," she whispered out her confession. She brought a hand up to her face and wiped the tears away as she managed to put her flow of tears to a halt as she lowered herself carefully down and pressed a kiss lightly on his jaw just under his ear as she tasted a trial of his sweat and pulled away with downcast eyes.

He gently stirred and slowly opened his eyes. "Selina," he mumbled a raspy breath.

She flattened her back against the doorway, as her long legs clasped together trying to ease the flow seeping through her padding. She folded her arms over her chest and closed her eyes hoping in vain that he wouldn't detect her soften emotions.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." she lied, averting her eyes away from him. "Go back to sleep, Bruce." She shifted her dark eyes to the bathroom outside the bedroom and nipped her bottom lip. "I'm going to take a bath. I have too much tension in my body that needs to be at ease."

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows. "You're still not feeling good?"

She rolled her eyes at his question, "Sometimes I wonder if you are as blind as a bat." She gritted, taking a few steps back. She had to get away from those endearing hazel eyes of his. She sauntered out of the bedroom, entered the bathroom and flickered the light switch on as she moved to the deep claw foot tub and turned the hot and cold handles. She grabbed lavender scented bubble bath, placed the plug over the drain hole and poured the liquid contents into the rising water. She felt more tears slip from her eyes as she lightly sniffled before stripping her yoga pants and tank top off of her slender form.

She climbed into the mountains of bubbles and sunk her stiff body into the hot water as the throbbing in her abdomen and thighs melted into the warmth of the water. She leaned her head back as her long strands of dark auburn draped over her freckled shoulders and she released a shaky exhale and allowed her tears to drop into the soapy water as she eyes became tinged with light copper around the pupils as she sobbed out her inner guilt quietly not realizing that he was standing in the doorway watching her.

Selina didn't acknowledge his presence, so he tentatively stepped forward and switched off the vanity light. He took a few moments and stared at her naked form glistening in the moonlight before he applied gentle pressure on her shoulder. The shock of his soft touch on her achy body immediately her eyes forcefully open, and she narrowed her bewildered gaze at his fingers rubbing over the side of her neck.

"Can't a girl get her privacy around here, Wayne," she lightly hissed with irritation broiling in her throat. She sunk lower into the water until her plump breasts disappeared into the bubbles. " Do you need something?" She asked in a hoarse voice, clenching her jaw. She glared at him for a few minutes as he loomed over her with his dark eyes looking down at her. "What?"

"I know you're upset about something, Selina." He watched her expressions falter as she eyes flickered down to her chest. "If you don't want to tell me...you don't have to. But don't think me as an idiot."

She swallowed, "You're not an idiot, handsome." she purred lifting her gaze back to his eyes. "Just a stubborn sucker."

The sharp edges of his mouth curled up, he slowly crouched down, his eyebrows creased as he slightly winded. His knee ragged a dull ache and needles in his spine gnawed against his stiff bones as he released a long and frustrating rasp and clenched his eyes shut to ease out the pain streaming through his system. She observed his discomfort as his body jolted with light muscle spasms.

"I guess we're both stubborn suckers, beautiful." he replied with a wry grin as the moonlight cast over the depth of his cheekbones. He rose from the tile flooring and took a few steps back from the tub, she furrowed her brows as darkness clouded over her eyes watching him doing something brazen. She blinked her lashes as he stripped off his sleeping pants, revealing his naked, muscular define body as he side kicked the pants to the wall. He shifted her with a tender gleam in his dark hooded eyes, and then he stepped over the side rim of the tub with one throbbing leg before lowering himself comfortably over her body as his hands messaged over her thighs. He gently rubbed his fingers over her fleshy folds easing the tension with soothing pressure.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cold ceramic. _Damn his touch was like heaven_. She immediately forget what she was crying about in first place as his fingers gripped inside her folds, widely opening her up to allow her feel relief. She felt the raging storm clashing in her thoughts dissipate as his finger entered deep into her. She slipped her eyes opened and stared at his wet slacked body glistening in the moonlight as he placed his other hand on her cheek and stroked his fingers over her soft and wet skin. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, feeling her emotions betray as her once again became watery. "Why should you give a damn about me, Bruce, after what I did to you. I'm the reason why you taking a long to recover. I'm the reason why you lost fortune."

Bruce brushed a tear away from underneath her eye with a gentle caress of his thumb. "True," he replied in a husky, deep and shuddering voice, "You're also the reason why I'm still alive, Selina." He dropped a light kiss on her forehead. "Let's forget about our regrets for tonight. We both deserve a little freedom from the past."

"Finally we agree on something," She said, enclosing her arms around his neck, her finger curled over the drench hair covering the nape of his neck as she felt the texture of his dark moles against her fingertips and mentally counted each other, storing the number in her memory. He was her unraveling mystery. She was looking toward to discovering something new in the coming days they will share during all hours of the day. She knew one day she would tell from the words of the truth seared on her heart for now she just wanted quiet and his soft lips kissing over her mouth.

He responded her desires, dropping his soft lips over hers as he kissed in her that her mouth melt into the liquid honey seeping from the depth of his mouth. He slipped his tongue slowly and tentatively into her mouth as he led into moist and warm interlock, sucking the air from her lungs and exploring deeper inside her mouth as she released soft moans of pleasure into the air.

She pulled away to catch a gulp of air, his hand cupped under her chin as he pulled her closer, devouring her mouth once again as she moved against him. He slashed and swayed his tongue against the roof of her mouth as she dug her nails into the planes of his back and arched her breasts against his chest and closed her eyes as they embraced fully in the lukewarm water. They kissed for a full minute and pulled away and stared into each other's eyes, recovering and silent. Bruce threaded his fingers through her damp strands of hair.

"What happened between us in the past, Selina, stays in Gotham." He whispered with a sincere tone, as his breath start to ghost over her breasts.

"Even our serious mistakes?" she asked, swirling her finger over his forehead scar.

"Yes," he replied softly. "We're starting fresh, Selina Kyle."

Then he drove his lips back to her mouth and kissed her, she felt a piece of her guilt dissolve within her as it became replaced with something different and full of sheltering warmth.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

One week later, the tapestry of rich colors washed over the surrounding trees near the cottage, Selina quietly walked underneath the canopy of branches, the autumn wind buffed her black long coat, as her boots crunched over the moist piles of leaves and she exhaled a steady breath and felt the chills of the air lash over her pale features. She lifted her dark brown eyes and stared at the ashen clouds forming over the crisp blue afternoon sky.

The temperature had a little effect on Selina as she flattened her back against the trunk of a tree, breathing in a refreshing inhale of breath, letting the tension ease its way out of her body. This was her comfort, she had finally escaped the walls of the stuffy cottage, feeling the wind twirl her strands of auburn and listening to the eerie howls of echoing from the moors in the distance.

She still felt out of element, no penthouses invade, jewelry stores displaying glistening diamonds and jewels over red velvet. But she marveled at the quaint scenery that made her feel like she trapped in a somber fairy tale. There was certainly nothing like this back in the streets of deary and heartless Gotham.

She unconsciously paced her footing, stuffing her gloved hands in the pockets of her long coat as she gathered thoughts of the moments she shared with Bruce. Both of them were still heavily guarded, trying to reach an understanding to each other without biting their heads off, trying to dare each other on saying something incriminating, first. But, what would be the definition of incriminating between them? Unveiling the haunting guilt and the sheer blame of what had taken place back in the sewer chambers in Gotham, or unraveling the true confessions etched on each other's wounded hearts...where would they go from here?

She discovered a jagged rocky peek and climbed over the smooth surface of the rock and sat on the edge with her legs dangling as she tilted her head back and released a faint exhale as she tried to tune out everything surrounding her. She inhaled deeply and concentrated on the rise and fall of her chest as she gathered the chilly air in her lungs, feeling the steadiness of her heart as it pounded against the walls of her chest. She tried focusing on the small bubbling brook, listening to the trickling sounds of water, the wind swaying the branches above her as leaves fell onto her jeans. It seemed frustrating and unnerving. She wanted to clear him out of her thoughts, but the images of those tender moments they shared with bodies replayed in her mind. The rich and creamy voice of his producing words in her ear. Everything about him-emotions, scent and gentle touch surged through her mind.

She had to admit to herself, she was starting to feel deep affection toward him. He invaded her space, catching her off guard when she displayed glimmers of vulnerability as she looked into his intense hazel eyes that burned right through her layers. Selina Kyle wasn't a woman who could be easily caught off guard. This was new and alarming toward her instincts- to allow Bruce's watchful gaze to stare down at her as she was curled against his body. It was unsettling. She had even been dreaming about him, each one as vivid as the kisses they shared during the pass weeks. She know everything about his lips, the liquid honey taste of his mouth that always melted against her lips. The feel of his tongue flicker against the roof of her mouth and the gentle caress he always pressed on her upper lip when they deepened into a savory kiss.

She wondered how things could have been different between them, without the gap that was slowly filling up with unspoken emotions, trust and maybe even love.

She had filled her lustful and carnal desires with dreams of him lying flat on the concrete roof of a high tower in Gotham, dressed fully in his Kevlar bat suit and she had full control of his over, claiming his creamy lips with impacting kisses, and ending the hour of pure mortal pleasure with both of them stripped from their guises and in a tangled mess of salty sweat, aching limbs and breathless as the moonlight outline over their bodies.

Her mind always created hidden pleasure, making the nightmares fade as she grasped the images of her lips slowly moving over the groves of his drenched, leaned and muscled torso- those were the moments she grasped when the consuming night terrors ravaged through her mind. She survived the realm of broken dreams, watched many loved one become fading names on grave stones and dodge the bullet. The nightmares never seemed to disappear, the wrath of Bane still clouded in her mind, the sound of Batman's back shattering and the coldness of death rushing over the empty streets of Gotham as the storm was brewing above the threatened city.

She didn't dwell on the nightmares and the sexually charged dreams, those were unrealistic to her gray shaded world where she created a fine line of trust and distrust. She knew nightmares were for people who never no souls and dreams for suckers. She wasn't a sucker or a saint. Just a woman who roamed her the streets of her impermanent alone, carrying the demons she created since she was seven years old, balancing her emotions and regrets and never losing her footing, until she finally surrendered her heart and felt the impact as she fell down hard.

_Don't cats always land their feet?_

Just when she thought she wouldn't get up, her anchor was in the form of a man she denied her attraction to, by distracting herself that treasures of the wealthy, jewels, credit cards, Swiss Bank account codes and window displayed black dresses, all those things suddenly had become worthless as the coldness of vehemently of denying her own heart made her feel incomplete, even through she easily disdained Bruce Wayne's "type", thinking he was just other heartless rich swine gorging in his luxuries. However, when he took off his mask she discovered that he wasn't part of society's indulgence. He was something genuine and worthy fighting for. When he held out his hand and helped her rise out of the black river the she had drowning into, her disobedient heart fluttered she knew there was something more.

_"There's more to you than that."_

That was the answer he had given to you, as his scorching hazel eyes stared at her from behind the slits of his mask, with that she could feel her own masks slowly stripped off as the real Selina Maria Kyle was aching to be revealed, but in truth he could already the real woman behind the cat.

In the end, moments as she was about to grasp her freedom from No Man's Land , she found her redemption and turned the Batpod around and came back to him, saving his life from the blast of the shotgun aimed to his throat , after she fired the canons she felt the repentance of some of her sins. She helped him back to his feet and won the war on Gotham. She kissed him with not a cold kiss without feeling, she pressed her lips to his mouth and give him the strength he needed to save Gotham. In those last seconds, she felt the shattered pieces of her soul mend back together as she felt whole.

Selina wasn't a woman of attachments and peaceful moments, she was used to being on high alert, daring herself into entering dangerous situations with the rabid big dogs of East End district that she would always bite and claw her way out of the fights. She was always the stray cat, sensing the storms brewing of her territory, prowling through the shadows of backdrops and alleys with her defenses up and claws ready to strike at any predator who dared to cross her path. That was the woman she was known to be, not this domesticated cat that was home bounded, she wanted freedom and to taste the high stakes of gambling with lives. She cheated death, which she consider her greatest fan many of times, bit the bullet and left a few of her aggressors stricken from their dignity.

During the time lapse of this uneventful week, she did a little research when he was recovering in bed with a high dosage of pain killer to numb his throbbing limbs. She dug out a bit of history of the Batman from old Gotham police files and GNN articles that showed grainy black and white images of the masked vigilante perched on ledges of buildings and telephone poles. Growing up in the East quarter of the deadbeat city, she had a rough idea of the timeline when Batman first made his appearance at the Gotham Docks and took out the crime boss Carmine Falcone. Because Batman never revealed his identity to the public, however no brave annoying journalist never made the bold move of discovering the concealed secret of the elusive night guardian of Gotham, they were clueless as to why an ordinary citizen or a creature some wrote in few articles would take it upon himself to don a Halloween costume in the guise of a flying rodent and became Gotham's mysterious protector.

Selina's curiously was yearning to unravel the truth on the real reason why the billionaire prince of Gotham would would make the decision to dress up as a giant bat and storm through secured warehouses and rattle a few cages, clearly what his reasons were didn't involved his massive ego, but something deeper. Or perhaps Bruce's decisions of becoming Batman was as clear as her own reasons for wearing a mask and jumping off rooftops and gain the power for the litter filled criminally that spoiled itself on the decay streets.

After a few moments of stilling her mind, she jumped down from her perch, landing perfectly on the heels of her thigh high boots and gradually walked toward the direction of the cottage , taking a deep sharp inhales as light rain was starting to descend from the heavy clouds above. She rolled her eyes. The weather in this country was predicable. Almost every of the week it poured, today she finally had time to explore the surrounding area of cottage without getting drenched. Releasing a frustrated sigh, she found shelter near a grove of trees, a black iron bench covered with leaves bu protected from the pelting drops of rain.

Quickly, she walked over, brushed the leaves off with her gloved hands and sat down with her knees curled against her chest and arms wrapped over her legs. She dug her face into the hollow space between her chest and knees and closed her eyes, listening the steady rainfall. She had assumed he had finally woke up, and wondered if he was in the kitchen preparing himself a hearty can of soup that she left over him on the stove top while wondering about her current whereabouts. Today, she just wanted time own, away from all the tension and enclosed space of the cottage and most important she wanted him to devote his time into healing property, without being worried about her. How could heal property if they were busy embracing on the floorboards near the fireplace, bathtub and their bed? He needed a full recovery before they finally unmasked their full selves to each other's desires. He had put her in place where she didn't want to be right now, he made her grasp different emotions that she had never felt before-it was a little frightening.

She had opened herself to anyone before, all the men of her past were just to fill her sexual drives from a nightly buzz of alcohol intake, she used many gullible men to filled her lustful hunger that only lasted for a few hours before she realized they were worthless, and then she would go out on the prowl looking for fresh easy prey. Only with Bruce, the carnal feline nature and desire was replaced with true feelings. Feelings that she had never felt before, he never mistreated her or seized control of her body. He was always gentle and accepted her choices. That was what was frustrating. Selina Kyle never needed anyone, she was a career cat and her career was all about her. She masked her own heart, not because she was afraid to get it broken but she was afraid that she break the man that only see the true woman inside her mortal shell.

She had lost had the reason to love, since her mother was murdered in right of her, baby sister Maggie was taken. She was a child then, an innocent and pure little girl, that felt the hardships of surviving as a stray, looking at families through store windows and fending for herself so she wouldn't die of hunger. And then she grew into a woman, strong and determine adult that could never depend on anything or anyone. She was the cat that always walked by herself.

Many of her correction officers would ask, _"how could so beautiful become so deadly?"_ She the simple answer to that question, everything she was outside and inside was the result of her struggles and her strengths, and she proud of the woman she had grown to become over the years. Everything her fingers touched she claimed as her own. But then there was the night at Wayne Manor, things seemed to fine, Bruce Wayne was just another victim of her sins that she stole from. The only difference was, she had finally been caught out of her barriers and things turned upside down when he reappeared in her life again at the Wayne Charity ball, held by Miranda Tate. That's when situations got a little more complicated.

She let out a sigh of frustration into the breezy air as she gritted her teeth and listened to the sounds of footfalls crunching over the leaves. Without any hesitation she was on her guard, defenses were up and claws ready to come out. She glanced sideways, and saw nothing just a whirl of leaves dancing to the rhythm of the wind. She cringed sensing a presence closing in on her. Before she could move, as gloved finger tapped over her nose, her dark eyes widened with a bewildered gaze as she slowly turned her neck and stared directly into Bruce's crisp hazel-grey eyes staring back at her, she took a few seconds to absorb his appearance, he was dressed in a black long coat, hair was tousled and complexion had more color than the days before.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked with a sheer hint of annoyance shrouding over her face. "You are supposed to be a shut in."

Bruce shrugged his shoulders, "I felt like getting some fresh air." He smirked with amusement at her mask of emotions. Her eyes were exposed and gleaming with softness as if she wanted to tell him everything in that moment but instead she narrowed her eyes down to the red tinged leaves near her lap.

"Did you enjoy you nap?" she asked, refusing to let her feelings betray her.

"Not especially. Why?" he asked with a edge of curiously in his voice.

"Well last time I check up on you," she replied with a sly smirk. "You were snoring."

"Excuse me, but I don't snore." he said in defense, crossing his arms over his rising torso.

A wide smirk play on her lips. "Yes you do, Mr. Wayne."

He rolled his eyes at this, "Whatever," he grunted, jaw twitching. "You're no sleeping beauty either, Miss Kyle."

"At least I don't snort or grunt." she shot back with a teasing tone in her voice, giving him a pointed look. "For your information. I don't make a sound when I sleep, unlike you."

"Ouch." he said, lips pursed into a thin line. "How did we get on subject?"

She smacked her lips together, "Never mind. We're both acting childish. Clearly you didn't come out here just to get fill some air in your lungs. You want to see if I was still here?" she stiffened her jaw. "Look I know you still don't trust me, in fact I can't really blame you. I was a heartless bitch to you from the beginning. Playing you for a gutless fool to get what I wanted."

His jaw tensed, revealing indents of his pronounced cheek bones, and anger crossed his dark eyes, "We've been through this, Selina. You can't change the past. I appreciate it if you stopped talking about it. Okay." he averted his eyes away from her. "You know for someone who claimed for having freedom from the past with the Clean Slate you sure like to talk about it a lot."

_Shit. _Her heart shuttered against the walls of her chest, she squeezed her hand into a fist. She didn't expect him to find her, to know that she was desperately trying to put her past mistakes behind her, she knew she wasn't entirely ready to let go of her old demons. She had thought she had a few more few days to think her choices through before this conversation happened between them.

"Wouldn't you?" she asked defiantly, swallowing a constricting lump down her throat. "If you knew how much I've lost while living in that fucking shithole of an apartment waiting for a bullet to enter through body. You wouldn't being judge me right now, Wayne."

He drew out a heated breath and rubbed his temple with his finger, trying to distract himself from her lethal glare of infused coffee. That sudden unpredictable ache scolded his heart for always trying to see the good trapped within her. She would be his own executioner. He was sure of it. Bullets, switchblades and nuclear weapons were nothing compared to this temperamental woman.

"That's not what I meant, Selina." he replied softly, looking back at her. "We both have experience pain and tragedy back in Gotham. We can't change that. Nothing can never change our past failures." He felt the hurt well deep inside his chest. "You think I don't know what it's like to walk on the thin line." He said, low growl. "Threaten everyday by those uncompromising bastards that so no compassion for humanity. I've been trapped inside a prison so many fucking years, half time I feel the struggle to break free from it all by cross that fine line and becoming a monster just like them. I never would. I became that symbol for a few reasons to battle injustice and fight for a city that was corrupted by greed and decay that one believed it could be saved. I wanted to prove that it could be if people stopped hiding in the shadows and fought for their freedom of criminally. Most importantly I became Batman so I could protect the people I cared about. That was whole point. So no, I don't judge you for the choices you've made, you did what you had to do." He paused in his words and looked steady into her eyes, as she displayed a shift of her emotions. "Yes, you let me down. I trust you just like I trusted Harvey Dent but in the end he became a monster and you became something greater than that, Selina."

She bit her bottom lip, and rose from the bench, feeling a sudden ache in her gut as she walked closer to him as he watched her with a guarded expression, and then placed her hand gingerly on his cheek. He flinched as she caressed her fingers tenderly over his flushed skin but made no effort to push her away as she brushed brushed the loose wisps of hair off his forehead, looking into his eyes with her melting pools of dark coffee and then she moved her gloved fingers and run one of them over the deep indent underneath his bottom lip.

"I think we both know what we want," she whispered, a small throaty noise. She pulled away and started walking further from his reach, he stood motionless feeling her words surge his heart, and he knew the answer, but he didn't want to confess it. He needed his space from her in those moments, because he knew there were going to be more raging battles of their heartfelt emotions that would eventfully tumble out of them.

He turned his gaze to her, looking directly at her as she turned on her heel and stared back at him, and then he raced toward her and crashed his body against hers, enclosing his arms around her as she gently curled up against his heaving torso, and he lifted her chin up with his hand and dropped a kiss over her lips as he inhaled her in. Both of their eyes slipped shut as they fully embraced each other in the rain , knowing they both had found not what they wanted in their lives but what they needed, and that was the answer the pang on their hearts.

When Bruce finally broke his lips away to gather an intake of air, and stroked his hand over her soft cheek and whispered, " So I do." And with that, he claimed her mouth once more into a tentative caress with his upper lip and felt her warm mouth respond us they both deepen into a kiss that wasn't just full of passion but also healing that mended the wounds they had been both scarred with in another lifetime.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
**

* * *

_The obscurity of the shadow encroached around him as pounding rain soaked through his jacket, Bruce splashed up the driveway, holding a folded Forbes magazine over his head, The soggy tabloid provided meager protection from the violent downpour, quickly collapsing under the weight of the deluged. Drenched and shivering, he reached the relative shelter of the portico, where he turned the knob, however the thick wooded door swung open of it's own accord that a crash of thunder shaking the entire structure of the mansion, and he immediately sensed that something was wrong._

_He silently stepped into the main foyer, beads of water dripped off his body and landed on the flawless marble floor as he closed the door behind him, feeling a constricting knot dread well inside him. He knew that Alfred never left the door unlocked, and always kept the lamps on the dressers lit in this type of weather. Placing the soaked magazine down, he could feel a sinister coldness in the air. Bracing himself, he stepped inside the hallway passage and called out, "Alfred?" his voice echoed from the bare chambers of the lower level of the mansion._

_There was no answer as his hazel eyes scanned the darkness of the hallway. Nothing was out of place, no furniture was left unturned and no broken glass littering the floor but there was a unpleasant stench hovering through the shadows. A horrid smell of sickening sweat and dried blood hit his nostrils as he walked stealthily down the hall, his eyes sharp and threatening and then he stopped at the threshold of his father's library._

_"Alfred?" he called out once more as his wet shoes stepped on the polished hardwood floor and he felt a icy horrifying panic rise in his veins as dripping puddles formed from his soaked clothing, and he couldn't breathe as the dread start to choke him when he tried to call out his friend and longtime caregivers name. He clenched his eyes shut and gathered a steady breath before stepping forward and narrowing his dark gaze down at the trail that was unmistakeably fresh blood leading towards the bookcase._

_Bruce's trepidation began to drum in his skull and blood in his ears starting to pound, he walked closer feeling his stomach churn with a whirl of whirl of acid mixed with the taste of toxic fear dripping down his raw throat. He walked over shards littered on the floor from a broken bottle of scotch, his shoes crunched the glass, and books were scattered through the room, pages torn and covered with hand print stains of blood on the tattered covers. His eyes didn't linger on the details as he swiftly moved pass the grand piano and noticed blood smears on the ivory keys, however, he knew that the worst for his eyes to behold was waiting from him by the opened window._

_He crept forward, not wanting to control his twisting emotions, and gazed down at the collection of playing card lying on the floor face up with the printed images of Joker's and bloody drops of blood on the corners of the edges._

_"No," he dejected in a breathless rasp, and gazed upon the worst thing he had ever seen, and would ever see- Alfred was lying on his back and clutching his hand over the bullet hole in his chest, his white shirt was drenched with blood and wrinkled face ghostly pale as his once sparking wintery blue eyes were glossed with yellow flume. That was addition to multiple stab wounds in his limbs and stomach as he soaked in the dark red puddles of the blood draining out of his lifeless form. And then Bruce saw it, the signature mark across his surrogates father's cheeks, the crimson Glasgow smile carved into the wrinkles and flesh with blood painted over the marred scars._

_"Alfred," Bruce said in a sobbing voice, as he felt his legs gave out and crashed to the floor, his arms were shaking violently as his teary eyes looked at his old butler's corpse , and carefully he placed his shaky hand on Alfred chest and lifted up the Joker card that was pinned to the body with a toothpick , he clutched the piece of paper in his hand tightly making the sharp edges slice through the skins of his trembling fingers._

_"Why!" He screamed at the top of his lungs against the tears streaming down his sharp curvatures._

_He felt his heart shattering into millions of pieces that seared his torn soul as he felt the fabric of his entire being tear apart as he placed his fingers over Alfred's soulless eyes and closed them. "Forgive me, Alfred..." He screamed out a mournful cry as he wrapped his arms around the old man. "I should have been here for you...it's all my fault..." His voice drifted into the octaves of his sorrow escaping the constricting walls of his throat. "It's all my fault..."_

_He clamped his throbbing eyes, feeling the tears sting into his eyes as he cheek touched the icy skin of Alfred's body, making the coldness of death seep into his bones. "You've always been there for me...even when I said I didn't need you to be...but you still stuck by my side and you never give up on me." His falling tears became mixed into the blood as he held Alfred close to his heart, his mouth opened and he released a cry that was far too great, too terrible for him to even vocalize. He felt the blood seep into material of his jacket and he embraced Alfred and pressed his lips on the butler's cheek, giving a loving kiss from son to a father and Bruce held on to him as the world break apart and the darkness swallowed him into an abyss as he heard the haunting laugh of pale faced reaper echo in his ears._

_"Well at least the old fool died happy...Bruce." the shadow in the doorway ejected with a inhuman crackle. "With a smile on his face."_

Bruce darted his eyes opened, his lungs were stricken from breath, his cheeks were drenched from the tears brimming in his eyes that he'd shed during his nightmare. His half-naked body was quivering and skin was slick with cold sweat as he felt it pour out of every fiber of his slender form. He dug his face into his shaky hands and pressed his fingers firmly into his in his soaked brow as he tried to ease off the tension, and the vivid images he'd escaped from haunted his memory every time his eyes blinked. "Alfred," his strained throat drew out through heavy gulps of air filling back into his lungs.

He couldn't still erase the vivid-images that crossed into his mind but he'd succeed on turning his breaths into regular exhales, and placed his hand on his chest as he inhaled and exhaled and slowly steadied his racing heart beat as it pounding against the firm walls of his chest. When he felt like he'd regained control of himself, he swallowed a large gulp of air and sunk his body back into the mattress, wiping the excess sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. He slipped his eyes closed and tried to fade out the lurking images of his deepest fears that ceased these nightmares. He knew that the Joker was still concealed in the shadows, with his debased mind devising up a plan to fulfill his sinister desires of bloody mayhem and devilish plots of collecting the souls of Gotham and placing them into pine boxes that would lower six feet under.

The grotesque scars painted with the blood of the all the cops, lawyers and innocent civilians still haunted his mind just like the grim coldness of the streets of Gotham that he could still feel in the marrow of his bones. He felt everything that he'd endured, his parents death in Crime Alley, the lost of Rachel, the bullet from the gun of Two Face that pierced through his guise and his flesh. Things that he experience as Batman, the sounds of screams and the ghostly knells of sirens erupting in the streets and the watching his city rip apart through the desmonds of fear, chaos and anarchy.

Each feeling that entered his body from the those demons cut through him like a knife in the heart or a jab in the back. He knew he wasn't indestructible or victorious. He took everything good and bad and molded those things into his mantle. He knew the nightmares would never truly go away...they faded over time as his hair changes into gray and more wrinkles etch over his youthful skin but they never give him the freedom that his tortured soul desired everything night when he put on the mask.

_We are never truly free_, he thought, narrowing his eyes down to the collection of scars engraved on his smooth torso as he adjusted around the bedroom that was semi-shrouded in a cloak of darkness with faint slivers of moonlight streaming from the glass panes of the windows and he could feel himself slipping back into the narrow void as his soul was falling deeper into shafts of darkness. He needed something to grip of hold of and help him rise up again into the rays of peace, to calm the raging storm clashing in his mind and to give reassurance that hope never left him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
**

* * *

His fingers softly brushed over her her soft, smooth skin as he curled behind her slipping his fingers under the strap of her black lace bra, allowing to fall gently off her well-defined shoulder with a simple cascade of his soothing touch trailing slowly down her tensed back.

His breathtaking, hooded dark hazel-green eyes stare long and hard, at the masterpiece of her body. Each curve was sculpted to perfection and her creamy skin was covered with tiny memoirs of her darken past, crisscrossing over her mid-back as he stroked his fingers through her long strands of auburn and brings his moist, scorching lips down the ridges of her spine, placing loving wet kisses over the scars as he feels her shiver agaisnt his lips.

"You're so beautiful ," he murmured with a low, baritone as his lips suckled over her skin, roaming further down her arched back. His hands were wrapped securely around her waist as she tilted back, resting her head against his bare, sweaty shoulder as the edge of her red lips upturned into a blissful smile, feeling his thick waves of hair trickling her skin as she lightly giggled and he respond with a small snort, making his mouth curve into warm smile as the his thin upper lip curled over his jagged canines.

"Did you just snort," she teased and rubbed her lips together, trying to hold her giggles down and looked over her freckled shoulder.

"Yeah," he replied, leaving his head displaying his flushed well- defined cheekbones. He chuckled hollowly at her amusing expression.

"Now I've seen it all," she smirked, looking deeply into his hazel orbs, brushing the dangling tendrils off his forehead. "The billionaire prince of Gotham isn't all that refined as those adoring model bitches think."

Her dark eyes flashed a dangerous flare as she turned on her side and moved her hand over his scarred chest, feeling the textures and the roughness over his skin.

He grinned a empty grin at her, as she stared sharply at the tapestry of scars on his sculpted, indented torso. He gently pulled her hand away from him.

"Bruce what's wrong," she asked in a low voice, as she sensed his resistance. "Come on, handsome doing keep me in the dark...tell me what's wrong with you."

Then her fingers were brushing over his jaw, and Bruce stared blankly at her, feeling a fever rising in his veins. He placed his hand slowly over her thigh, and leaned his face closer to her and then framed his hands over each side of her face and crushed her lips with a hungry, passionate kiss.

He responded to her kiss slaying his hands over her hips, gripping over the scars created by street gangs she fought from East End, he pulled the covers fully off her, displaying her beautiful, curvy body as the dim lamp light shone over her skin making a warm essence flow of her.

He stared into the depth of her eyes with a intense gaze, capturing every detail he beheld in those still moments, the tiny indents at the corners of her lips, the wavy of her hair as it cascaded over her shoulders like curtains as he lifted his hand and cupped her face, brushing the her hair behind her ear as she slowly brought her lips an inch away from his neck.

He curled his fingers underneath her jaw and kissed her again, gently and loving this time, his hands touched her warmth and his tongue twined with hers, creating a rhythmic waltz within the caverns of their mouths. He pulled away, panting for gulps of breath. "Selina." he manged, breathless.

"Just relax and let me handle this situation handsome."

She smiled tenderly, sliding her hand over his feverish cheek to his hair and he let out a hollow ghost laugh, looking into her darkening eyes "Oh, I know that look all too well, Selina Kyle."

"Good," she replied, brushing her lips over his jaw with soft feathery kisses. "because it's never going to change." Another soft kiss on his rounded chin, and then she flicked her eyes up and looked onto his hazel orbs, bringing her lips just a breath away from his. 'Now matter how much you want it to, Bruce Wayne."

"I never want you to change," his breath ghosted over her lips, threading his fingers through a mass of her auburn hair. "You're perfect, just the way you are, Selina."

She bit down hard on her bottom lip, she was unprepared for that flattering remark. Unprepared to have a man inside her personal space. Unprepared for him to be so damn intrigued by her captivating allure. She rolled her eyes slight to the shadows of the bedroom cloaking around them, wishing she could reveal the truth that was beating a steady pace against her heart.

"How are you feeling tonight? Do you need any pain killers? Are you hungry?" she tilted her head, trying to find a distraction from his soulful eyes starting directly up into her dark ones. She could feel ripples of worry etching over her pale features. Betrayed her own semblance.

He shook his head and watched her fight the emotion and slid his hand gently down her cheek. "I'm fine, Selina." he replied, amazed how fast she emotions could change, in split second. Her performances are truly a a work of art as he could see the tiny glimmers of her haunting regrets molded into her dark pupils. "Hey, is everything, alright?"

"I told you to relax," she shot back, pulling away from him. "You need to conserve your energy. Your wounds are still healing."

Bruce rolled his eyes, and then gave her a withering look.

"You need to stop worrying about me." he said in a faint whisper. "I know how to handle my own body."

"Sure you do," she replied, narrowing her eyes to his collections of scars etched on his chest pectorals. "Judging your patch work you've handle a lot." She arched her left eyebrow, giving him a pointed look as he gave a slight dumbfounded on, pursing his boyish lips.

"I don't need you to be a my nurse, Selina." he responded with a sullen gaze.

She clenched her jaw, " How dare you think I was your nursemaid," she stormed, nostrils flaring before she crawled off the bed and moved toward the window. "I'm not here to show you sympathy. In fact I could careless but you injuries." She crossed her arms over her chest and breathed out her frustration.

Bruce stiffened his jaw, showing the indents of a scowl. He straightened from the bed, folding his arms over his rising torso, "Why are you like this," he growled, voice becoming deeper. "One minute you're kiss me and then next minute you want to bite my head off. It you want to take out her aggression out at me. Then go right ahead, Miss Kyle. I can take it."

She turned her back fully to him, inwardly cursing as her shoulders tensed.

"Well come on," he urged with a fierce stare of hazel. "Give it all to me."

She turned at her bare heel and give him a lethal glare. "You want everything ." she snarled. "Fine. Read my lips."

Bruce looked directly at her full, deep red lips. "Alright. Let's hear it."

She sauntered closer, swaying her hips and long legs, as he stood motionless and watched her lips part as she spoke with anger. "I think you're a spoiled, arrogant brat with mommy and daddy issues. You never really loved anyone because you moved you're ass out that mansion of yours. I'm surprised you stayed in shape during those eight years."

Bruce's jaw became even more tighter as her words lashed across her face. "Is that everything?"

"Not quite," she hissed, moving closer. "I think that ego of yours likes having the attention of women. Because let's face it you're really an angry douche bag that needs to be taught how to really handle a woman." She could feel hot tears welling behind her dark eyes, threatening, she blinked trying to keep from from escaping down her cheeks. "So what you saved Gotham...big deal...they never really care over your ass anyways. You meant nothing to them."

"Shut up." he growled, roughly, his eyes becoming moist. " I did everything for Gotham. Do you think I liked being hunted down by the police every night, no, I need what was necessary to save the people of Gotham and I expected anything is return."

"And still they didn't give a damn about you," she snapped back with a sour tone, boring a piercing gaze into his penetrating stare. " And now you're just a memory of ashes blowing in the wind."

"Finished?" he gritted his teeth.

"Honey, I'm just getting started," she remarked coldly, as she watched flames burned into his hazel chasms.

Bruce shook his head, "Selina, you've said your piece." He moved closer, reaching out his hands to grasp her upper arms. "We need to fight Selina. We're not back in Gotham. We're far away from that place. Leave the past behind you and start fresh."

She rolled her eyes for good measure and scoffed his hands away, backing away from him.

"I know you're better than this," he deadpanned softly. "Why can't you see that?"

She shrugged and used the same flippant tone like she did that night of the masquerade ball. "Maybe I don't want to believe in something that isn't realistic about me." She looked at him with steely eyes. "Maybe I'm not ready."

"If that's what you think," he breathed out a heavy breath. "Than I have nothing more to say."

"You can't domesticate a stray cat," she said, her voice laced with bitterness, narrowing her eyes and refusing to meet his gaze.

Bruce cocked one of his eyebrows. _Stray?"_ If I recall correctly, I didn't find you on my doorstep back in Gotham and welcome home_." _He seethed through his clenched teeth, trying to storm calm between them. "I woke up here and found you at my side." He pointed a hand to her. "You could have gone anymore in the world. Done anything. But you came here. You're standing in the same room with me, kitten."

She felt her nostrils widen as she sucked back warm air into her lungs. It took her a few moments to regain composure from his heated words. Words that pierced her like a knife in the dark as she felt a hot fever burning in her veins. Clamping her lips shut, and glared at him with her molten coffee eyes as he stared her down with his smoldering hazel ones. "Maybe I didn't you..." she paused in her words, swallowing the large knot back down her throat. "It wake up in a grave." she explained evenly. " Maybe I wanted you ..."

Bruce pursed his lips. "I'm sorry did you say that you wanted me, Selina Kyle?" he half scoffed. "Wait I forgot, the famous Selina Kyle doesn't know what she wants because it always gets taken away from her. If she finally gets it she finds a leave to escape from it. She's always looking for the exits and always creating more regrets when she should be collecting jewels."

She was edging slightly closer, her arms still crossed as she bore her dark eyes into him. Purposely he allowed her to hold his fiery gaze as she set her jaw down hard. "You don't even know have the shit that I've been through, Wayne to get where I am today."

His jaw twitched, then tense but his eyes were changeless._ Why is she being like this? So damn infuriating._

"I will if she just tell me, Selina. If we want this to work between us we need to stop being stubborn."

A bitter chuckle escaped from her throat, her dark eyes narrowed to the floorboards.

"You're the one being so damn stubborn. I'm just proving a point." she said feeling a sprout of goosebumps involuntary over her pale skin. "Besides if it wasn't for me...your ass would be sinking down in the dark waters of Gotham Bay. I did what I thought was right at the moment, maybe I wasn't thinking, and maybe it was a move on impulse. But you're alive and far away from that forsaken city. That's all that counts for this stray kitten."

Bruce kept his lips clasped shut in a thin line as she felt his jabs of disappointment and he finally spoke, " So you saved my life for your known reasons?" he paused, looking at her piercing stare of dark coffee. "Or was it for something else, Miss Kyle?"

"Why do you care?" she half snarled. "My reasons are my own. I don't need to explain anything to you."

He moved closer to her and said, "Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth, Selina. Did you save me for the reasons of mending your guilt or did you save me because you know there's something between us?"

She released a frustrated breath and brushed passed him grabbing a robe from the dresser and quickly wrapping it over her bare skin. "You're the detective. Figure it out."

A chill run down his spine, he looked into her eyes, seeing the her fragile emotions slip out from the darkness off her irises-but at this point he was done fighting with her. He couldn't stop the slow burning fever igniting in his veins, building higher to match the structure of stronger walls that she built around her very time he managed to break through the small cracks of her guarded exterior. He fought enough people in masks all his life. Gazing into her eyes for those mere seconds as she stood near the door frame, made him reach out closer to her.

"Selina, I knew you have feelings about me. Otherwise you would have let me drown. If you don't admit today how will I know that everything we had in Gotham was all a lie."

"We had nothing in Gotham, Bruce." she said with a sour tone. " You were still in love with that bitch Miranda Tate when you returned."

"I was never in love with her, Selina," he replied with a sincere gaze. "It was you I was thinking about the whole time. It's always been you." He turned and began to walk to the stairs, leaving her stricken with bewilderment as she listened to him descend down the steps. Stress and uncertainly as starting to grip her senses, mostly because the truth he revealed was close to reaching her acceptance. She stood alone in the lamp light, trying to gathering all the details of every word they shared and bury them deep into her mind. She had been waiting for him to answer fully to her but she never intended for those words she spoke to be so cold and numb. She knew he had deep psychosocial wounds to heal from and his battered body still needed more rest and healing in order for him to finally live this new life.

"I'm going to regret this?" she muttered under her breath, feeling a tug on her own heart strings as she stood motionless and stared blankly at the stairs and all her emotions whirled inside of her as she felt cold without his warmth. "Why do I miss him?" She suddenly felt ridiculous, missing someone that stood in front of her moments of her. In truth she did miss him so much that it actually caused a jab in her chest, she thought it was impossible for her to have deep feelings for a man that she never wanted to attached herself to his body, heart and soul.

Attachment was like walls closing in on her, suffocating the very air she breathed. So was the feeling of being alone and left with no comfort to bury herself into.

She let out a heavy exhaled and walked out of the bedroom, her fingers gripped the railing as she slowly descend down the steps, and she found him sitting on the very last step, his back was against the wall and knees tucked close to his chest. "There something I want to say to you," she said, looking down as he lifted up his chin and stared teary eyed at her. "I've made a lot of mistakes that I'm not proud of, Bruce." she swallowed, and mounted her feet a step above him. "Deciding to save you wasn't a mistake. I'm not good at telling people how I feel. I've never felt this way before with anyone."

Bruce lowered his eyes and released a breath that he had been holding. "We need to start being honest with each other." he said, lifting his gaze back on her. "We've both to hell and back, Selina. I think it's time that we dust off the ashes."

Selina leaned her back against the railing and closed her eyes, "I don't even know where to begin, Bruce-"

A grasp escaped from her throat as his hand touched her cheek, she opened her eyes, staring into his watery hazel chasms. He was merely inches away from her, close enough that his body heat wavered through her bones. He slid his other hand around her waist and pushed her up against the wall. His palms were scorching and rough on her skin, slipping under the robe and carelessly her gently. She let out a breath of shock when his lips pressed on her upper lip and than on her bottom lip into full suction, as he quickly silenced her with a heated kiss and she instinctively pressed herself greedily against him.

They didn't need to talk.

They just let your actions express their concealed emotions towards each other.

One of his hands roamed down the firm curve of her ass to her muscled thigh. He grasped the hard skin almost desperately and tore her leg up against his hip, caressing the underside of him. Selina tilted her head back, silting her eyes close as her body shifted, panting large gulps of breath when he pulled away for her mouth for a moment. His wet lips run along the side of her neck, leaving a trail of scorching heat. Her hands moved up his shoulders until they reached his lengh of his chocolate locks and twisted the strands at the nape of his neck, knuckles rubbing over his freckles and scars. He paused for a moment, as her gentleness dissolved into his skin, and then he plunged himself deep into her mouth, devouring the taste of her with sensual pleasure.

An eruption of passion seared in them both, she moaned down his throat, responding to his flickering of his tongue twining around hers, the soft kisses his lips pressed over her mouth and the mending of wounds he allowed to melt inside of him. She didn't think to question this moment and why this was happening to them. This was what they need to share together...as a man and a woman. Him kissing her with those soft and sugary lips filled the void that formed deep inside of her and she wanted it to fill further up until all the cracks were covered by this unspoken passion that gushed through her veins until it reached her heated core.

She wanted this to become her comfort. Her security. Mostly importantly beyond anything...she wanted him.

"Bruce."

She managed sliding her lips over his jaw, sucking on his cheekbone as she spoke with shaky exhales, allowing his salty taste to drip down her throat. Bruce leaned up and placed both of his sweaty hands on her flushed cheeks and looked steady into her eyes as they exchanged a look they never thought as possible. A look of love. Unguarded and truthful.

_I love you, _their dark chasms of hazel and coffee said. _I love you so much._

And then he pulled off her robe, allowing it to slip off her curves and onto the steps. He was feasting himself on her creamy skin again.

His warm breath brushed over her throat, his slender, muscular frame sliding over her bare skin as his lips ravaged over her body like she was a endless stream of the finest wine he had ever tasted. Pure, sweet and rare. Everything was changing...every thought, every heart beat, and all the fibers of their bodies...all their limbs were becoming erotically burned as hot liquid fire seep out of their pores and covered their bodies with a sheet of pleasure. She curled her fingers, digging them into the groves of his torso, his shoulders and the planes of his sweat slacked back. He growled, and the rumbling sound of his fierceness washed down her throat and filled her lungs as she released a satisfied moan.

"Bed." she purred against the lope of his ear. "Now."

Bruce nodded and wrapped his arms around her drenched body, lifting her up gently against his heaving chest and carried her up the stairs while she dropped her lips tenderly on his neck.


End file.
